Looking at your age, I believe you should be in your late fifties or early sixties. Every sincere person in Akwa Ibom State today knows that you have sold your conscience to the devil; you are now joined in unholy matrimony with the very destructive forces you hitherto fought against.
I read your article where you sought to link Mr. Umana Okon Umana with the so-called "invasion" of the presidential guest house of the Akwa Ibom State Governor's Lodge. Sir, I know that you're not stupid, you know how to pass faeces. But I am unable to find any sense in that puerile and irresponsible accusation. What exactly is the basis for your accusation? You claimed that he had "done" a similar thing in the past by suggesting to Godswill Akpabio that he should frame up your little god, Sen. James Akpanudoedehe for the assassination of the late PDP stalwart, Paul Inyang.
That is the limit Sir. It is no longer whether you are being mischievous. The issue now is whether you're still redeemable. So it was Umana Umana that framed up Udoedehe? Why are you allowing the devil to use you? I recall the day you called me on phone sometime last year from your self-imposed exile in the United States. You couldn't make any point without reference to Udoedehe and the "Ibibios". You kept saying: "I have told Udoedehe". I was so embarrassed that I had to politely discontinue with the conversation.
As far as you are concerned, Udoedehe is the only qualified person that should have been given the gubernatorial ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC). For you, there shouldn't be opposition in the State except led by Udoedehe. This is the singular reason why you are opposing and disparaging Umana Umana. Opposition really is not the problem. Many of us have been opposing all our lives. The real issue is the motivation for the opposition and what we're opposing. Deep inside your heart, you know that Umana Umana is not who you seek to portray.
The Udoedehe that you canonise today is the same Udoedehe that many lost their lives defending during the 2011 governorship election. Many including myself, were harassed at gun point because of this same Udoedehe. I am saying this publicly for the first time; do you know that I voted for Udoedehe during the 2011 governorship election and was threatened with a gun point because I insisted on the sanctity of the ballot?. God bears me witness on this.
I supported him then not because he was sinless. In fact most of the people that I know that stood by Udoedehe then did so simply because they couldn't contemplate supporting Akpabio. It had nothing to do with being Ibibio.
So stop this nonsense. You're not the only person that supported Udoedehe. But have you wondered why most of us who supported Udoedehe in 2011 are irritated at the mention of his name in 2015? Umana Umana is not a perfect man. He has his weak points just like you Thompson Essien. But the Umana Umana that I know has one thing which a thousand haters like you cannot take away; he has humanness. Unlike Udoedehe, Umana believes in the right of people to differ from his opinion. He believes that everyone has the potential to offer service. I have witnessed occasions where he just remained still when ordinarily he should have voiced out.
I have seen Umana exude leadership in provocative situations. Despite the personal attacks directed at his person, wife and family by people sponsored by Godswill Akpabio and Udom Emmanuel he has remained very restrained. This character is a rarity among the political class in our country. Udom Emmanuel that you are killing yourself for didn't even emerge through a democratic process. Akpabio didn't even allow a contest. Akpabio went further to kill the very poor masses you claim you're defending just to impose Udom on our people. Oh! Thompson Essien, what a terrible contradiction?.
I became actively involved in the politics of Akwa Ibom State because I realised that all my protests and agitation will not do much as long as Godswill Akpabio is one dictating the leadership of the State. I am not a member of the APC, I do not intend to be. But I am persuaded that PDP lacks the moral right and legitimacy to remain in power after 16 years of misrule, killings, looting and arrogance in Akwa Ibom State.
Sentiments aside, Umana Umana is by all standards better than Udom Emmanuel. Before I took a decision to support him, I confronted him with all the misgivings and accusations levelled against him as a result of his position in the government of Godswill Akpabio. I came to the conclusion that this man was being unfairly labelled. I repeat, Umana is not perfect. But it is unjustifiable to hold him responsible for the sins of Godswill Akpabio.
For instance, there is this accusation that he denied civil servants of their entitlements. No one has ever attempted to rationalise this accusation. Umana has never been the Head of Service in Akwa Ibom State. The only political office holder in a State in Nigeria that determines when civil servants should be paid their entitlements is the governor. Even a deputy governor cannot determine it. So how exactly did he frustrate civil servants while serving as the Commissioner for Finance under former governor Obong Victor Attah or as the Secretary to the State Government under Sen. Godswill Akpabio?.
Ette Thompson, you have sought to link Umana Umana with the series of political assassinations that took place in Akwa Ibom under Akpabio. Again this is an indefensible charge. Every adult in Nigeria today knows that Godswill Akpabio is a murderous monster who has no regards for human life. I can give several examples. But one will suffice. Engr. Albert Ukpanah, the outspoken chieftain of the PDP, was gruesomely murdered because he insisted that the senatorial seat of his district (where Akpabio comes from) should go to a particular area. His only son was falsely accused by Akpabio of being responsible for the murder. Akpabio, had him arrested and incarcerated for over a year.
You will agree with me that most of those assassinated during the reign of Akpabio were people whose political affiliation and interest conflicted with that of Akpabio. Non of the victims had political clash with Umana Umana. So what is the logic in trying to hold Umana responsible for such atrocities? Was he the only political appointee in Akpabio's regime? Is he the only person that nursed governorship ambition in that regime?.
The Udom Emmanuel that you say is decent appears to be even worse than Akpabio. Do you know that Udom sacked one of his aides during the campaigns simply because he offered bottle water to supporters after a political campaign instead of sachet water? An elderly friend who rose through the ranks in the army narrated how Udom snubbed him at a funeral. Again this was before the April 11, 2015 elections.
Udom lied to Akwa Ibom people on the debt profile of our State. I got to know this after writing to the Debt Management Office in Abuja for information on the debt profile of Akwa Ibom State. The details will soon be made public. Udom authorised his driver to impersonate the police. They say he is a spy police, but spy police do not wear Mopol camouflage, spy police do not serve politicians.
Udom today has mortgaged our State to Zenith Bank Plc. The bank now controls the soul of our dear state. Thompson Essien, are you not bordered that innocent people were murdered for Udom Emmanuel to become "governor"? Are you not bordered about all these atrocities? Look at all the appointments made by Udom, 89% of those appointed are people who served under Akpabio. Can you swear with the Bible that Akpabio is not the one deciding what happens in our State today? Is that the kind of government you want for our people?.
Thompson Essien, you have said severally that Umana's case at the Tribunal will not succeed. But you know nothing about election petitions and the facts of this case. You have never witnessed the proceedings at the Tribunal. Are you aware that the 7 bags of Incident Forms that PDP, Udom and INEC invented to prove that there was election was never tendered by them because they forgot to sign them?. So what exactly is the source of your confidence that the Tribunal will decide in Udom's favour?.
Even Udom's number 1 witness, the PDP State Collation Agent, Barr. Emmanuel Enoidem, ran away from the Tribunal and refused to testify in his defence. I know you live in the Portland City of Oregun, in the United States. You're completely disconnected from the reality on ground. But do not worry, God willing, when Umana Umana becomes the governor he will rehabilitate you.
I know nothing can change you at your age. You will most likely remain crooked till your last day on earth. But whatever you do, remember that there is always a day of reckoning.
Your brother,
Inibehe Effiong
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